Spanish Baked Eggplant with Tomatoes and Cheese Recipe
Baked eggplant with tomatoes and cheese is a light yet satisfying vegetable dish that in Spain is often served as a warm starter or a vegetarian main. It’s a bit like Italian parmigiana, but simpler and lighter, with more olive oil and herbs. Perfect when you have a few eggplants in the fridge and want to make something more impressive than just frying them.
This Spanish-style baked eggplant is lighter than classic parmigiana, yet still comforting and full of Mediterranean flavors from olive oil, tomatoes and herbs. It’s an easy way to turn simple vegetables into an impressive main or starter.
Chef's tips
Salt and drain the eggplant thoroughly – this step helps remove bitterness and keeps the slices from soaking up too much oil. Don’t skip resting the bake after it comes out of the oven; the layers set and it slices much more neatly.
How to serve
Serve as a main with bread, rice or couscous, or as a side dish alongside grilled fish or chicken. A simple green salad with a lemony vinaigrette balances the richness of the cheese and olive oil.
Ingredients
- eggplant medium-sized - 2 pieces
- tomatoes ripe, sliced - 3 pieces
- canned tomatoes chopped, for the sauce - 200 g
- yellow cheese grated, e.g. Gouda or block mozzarella - 120 g
- garlic finely chopped - 3 cloves
- onion finely chopped - 0.5 pieces
- olive oil - 4 tablespoons
- oregano dried - 1 teaspoon
- basil dried or a few fresh leaves - 1 teaspoon
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 200°C (top and bottom heat). Slice the eggplants into rounds about 1 cm thick, salt on both sides and set aside for 15 minutes on a sieve or plate so they release some liquid and lose their bitterness.
- Meanwhile, prepare a simple sauce: heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a pan over medium heat, add the chopped onion and fry for 3–4 minutes until softened. Add half of the garlic and fry for 1 more minute.
- Pour in the canned tomatoes, add the oregano, a pinch of salt and pepper. Simmer over low heat for 8–10 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly. Set aside.
- Rinse the eggplant slices under running water to remove excess salt and pat them completely dry with paper towels.
- Place the eggplants on a baking tray lined with baking paper, brush both sides with 2 tablespoons of olive oil (you can use a pastry brush) and bake for 15 minutes, turning halfway through, until they soften and are lightly browned.
- Spread a thin layer of tomato sauce over the bottom of an ovenproof dish. Arrange the first layer of eggplants, then some of the fresh tomato slices on top, and sprinkle with a little garlic, salt, pepper and basil.
- Repeat the layers: sauce, eggplants, tomatoes and seasonings until you use up all the ingredients. Spread the remaining sauce on top and sprinkle with the grated cheese.
- Drizzle the top with the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil and place the dish in the oven. Bake for 20 minutes, until the cheese is melted and lightly browned.
- After removing from the oven, let the bake rest for 5–10 minutes so it cools slightly and is easier to slice. Serve warm.
Storage
Zapiekankę przechowuj w lodówce w naczyniu przykrytym folią lub w pojemniku. Podgrzewaj w piekarniku w 170°C przez 10–15 minut. Możesz też zamrozić porcje i rozmrażać w lodówce przez noc przed podgrzaniem.
